Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Sunny Yoblush’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Sunny Yoblush’, characterized by its uniform and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit; strong and freely branching growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; uniform flowering response and habit; can be grown as a disbud-type, spray-type or without bud removal; early flowering habit; large daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped ray florets; bright yellow-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about three weeks in an interior environment.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Sunny Yoblush’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunny Yoblush’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. Theobjective of the program is to create or discover new pottedChrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production withuniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branching habit,numerous inflorescences, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors,fast and uniform flowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation ofthe Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar White Blush, disclosed in U.S.Plant Pat. No. 9,441. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selectedby the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within a population ofplants of the cultivar White Blush in a controlled environment inSalinas, Calif. on Nov. 10, 2002. The selection of this plant was basedon its uniform plant growth habit, good vigor and strong branchinghabit, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast and uniformflowering response, and good postproduction longevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttingswas first conducted in Alva, Fla. in February, 2003. Asexualreproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newChrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Sunny Yoblush has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or lightlevel, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunny Yoblush’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Sunny Yoblush’ as a new and distinctChrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Uniform and somewhat outwardly spreading plant habit.    -   2. Strong and freely branching growth habit.    -   3. Dark green-colored foliage.    -   4. Uniform flowering response and habit.    -   5. Can be grown as a disbud-type, spray-type or without bud        removal.    -   6. Early flowering, eight week response time.    -   7. Large daisy-type inflorescences with elongated oblong-shaped        ray florets.    -   8. Bright yellow-colored ray florets.    -   9. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good        substance and color for about three weeks in an interior        environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the parent,the cultivar White Blush. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ fromplants of the cultivar White Blush primarily in ray floret coloration asplants of the cultivar White Blush have white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of thecultivar Yellow Blush, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,455. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the newChrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Yellow Blush in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were taller than plants of        the cultivar Yellow Blush.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered about three to four        days earlier than plants of the cultivar Yellow Blush.    -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were lighter        in color than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Yellow        Blush.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newChrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view oftypical flowering plants of ‘Sunny Yoblush’ grown as disbud-types.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typicalinflorescences of ‘Sunny Yoblush’ grown as disbud-types.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotographs, following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown and flowered during the spring in Salinas, Calif., in afiberglass-covered greenhouse and under conditions which approximatethose generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production.During the production of these plants, the following conditions weremeasured: day temperatures, 21 to 27° C.; night temperatures, 17 to 19°C.; and light levels, 5,000 to 6,000 foot-candles. Four unrootedcuttings were directly stuck in 15-cm containers, exposed to longday/short night conditions, and pinched once about two weeks later. Atthe time of the pinch, the photoinductive short day/long nighttreatments were initiated. Plants used for the description were grown asdisbud-types. Measurements and numerical values represent averages oftypical flowering plants.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Sunny    Yoblush.-   Commercial classification: Daisy-type potted Chrysanthemum.-   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the    Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar White Blush, disclosed in U.S.    Plant Pat. No. 9,441.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at 21° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About ten days at 21° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; white, close to 155D, in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type potted Chrysanthemum that            can be grown as a disbud-type, spray-type or without bud            removal. Upright with lateral branches somewhat outwardly            spreading; uniformly mounded crown. Strong and freely            branching growth habit; about three to four lateral branches            develop after removal of terminal apex (pinching); dense and            full plants.        -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 43 cm.        -   Lateral branches (peduncles).—Length: About 19 cm. Diameter:            About 4 mm. Internode length: About 1.3 cm. Strength:            Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146A.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:            About 7 cm. Width: About 5.2 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base:            Truncate with attenuate tendencies. Margin: Palmately lobed,            sinuses between lateral lobes parallel to divergent.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color:            Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close            to 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower            surface: More green than 147B. Venation, upper surface:            Close to 147A. Venation, lower surface: Close to 147B.            Petiole length: About 2.4 cm. Petiole diameter: About 3 mm.            Petiole texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent.            Petiole color, upper surface: Close to 147A. Petiole color,            lower surface: Close to 146A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated            oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals            above foliage. Disk and ray florets develop acropetally on a            capitulum. Inflorescences not fragrant.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plants flower            in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other            times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development            can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at            least 13.5 hours of darkness). Uniform and early flowering            habit; plants exposed to two weeks of long day/short night            conditions followed by photoinductive short day/long night            conditions flower about eight weeks later.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about three weeks in an interior            environment.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Grown as a disbud-type, only one            inflorescence is allowed to develop per lateral branch.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 1 cm.            Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 147A.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—Large, about 9.8 cm.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.9 cm.        -   Diameter of disc.—About 2.2 cm.        -   Receptacle diameter.—About 1.1 cm.        -   Receptacle height.—About 9 mm.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 4.9 cm. Width: About 1.1 cm.            Corolla tube length: About 4 mm. Shape: Elongate oblong.            Apex: Emarginate. Base: Fused into a corolla tube. Margin:            Entire. Orientation: Initially upright to eventually            reflexed. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous; satiny. Number of ray florets per inflorescence:            About 22 arranged in a single whorl. Color: When opening and            fully opened, upper surface: Close to 6A. When opening and            fully opened, lower surface: Close to 6B to 6C.        -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.            Length: About 9 mm. Diameter, apex: About 3 mm. Diameter,            base: About 2.5 mm. Shape: Tubular; elongated. Apex:            Five-pointed. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:            About 162. Color: Immature: Close to 154A. Mature, apex:            Close to 12A. Mature, mid-section: Close to 144A. Mature,            base: Close to 155D.        -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 18 arranged in            two to three whorls. Length: About 1.1 cm. Width: About            5 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper surface: Waxy, smooth.            Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:            Close to 146A. Color, lower surface: Close to 147A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets            only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to            15A. Pollen amount: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on            both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 5 mm. Style            color: Close to 154D. Stigma color: Close to 9A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under    commercial greenhouse conditions.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘SunnyYoblush’, as illustrated and described.